System of collecting mail and the like.



S. G. 00X. SYSTEM OF COLLECTING MAIL AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19, 1912.

1,094,126. Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

S. G. 00X.

SYSTEM OF COLLECTING MAIL AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION I'ILBD AUG. 19, 1912.

I Patented Apr. 21, 191i 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Co., WASHIIiQTON, D. :4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL C. COX, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT COLUMBIA.

SYSTEM OF COLLECTING MAIL AND THE LIKE.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. Cox, a citizen of the United States residing at lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Systems of Collecting Mail and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved system of collecting mail and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means for collecting mail from the street boxes and to deliver it to a central or main station without manual handling.

A further object is to provide a collection vehicle constructed to cooperate with the street mail boxes in such manner that the mail matter may be transferred directly from the mail box to the vehicle without intermediate handling. a

A further object is to provide a collection vehicle with openings for the entrance of mail matter, said openings being provided with suitable closures forming chutes means being provided for locking said closures in open or closed position, as desired.

A further object is to provide a collection vehicle with a dump body and discharge openings covered by suitable closures, said dump body and closures being locked by a single element.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a collection vehicle embodied in my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a front end view illustrating the vehicle in the act of receiving mail from a street letter box. Fig. 4 is a rear view of the dumping receptacle illustrating the means for controlling the side closures thereof. Fig. 5 is a view illustrating a modified form of letter box. Fig. 6 is a view illustrating a type of collapsible bag used in connection with my improved system. Fig. 7 is a view illustrating the apparatus for receiving the collected mail matter at the central oiiice.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a mail box supported upon a post 11. Said box may be of any preferred construction the form illustrated being provided with a drop bottom 12 formed of folding bottom and door sections 13 and 14 respectively, hinged together at 14 and the bottom section 13 hinged to the front wall of the box Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 19, 1912.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914. Serial No. 715,858.

at 13, having interengaging lugs 15 and side walls 16, whereby a discharge chute is formed when the bottom is dropped. The sections are held in closed position by a suitable lock connecting the door section 1 1- with the front of the box. The bottom is supported in open position by any suitable means. For this purpose I have illustrated a pulley a over which runs a cord or chain 6, attached to the bottom 12, said pulley being provided with an internal spring. A downward pull on the bottom rotates the pulley against the tension of the spring, and when the bottom is released it is closed by the said pulley actuated by said spring. If desired a handle 0 may be secured to the pulley a for the purpose of operating the same. A lug 05, projecting from the inside of the wall of the box and engaging a flange e on the bottom section 18 limits the up ward movement of the bottom and the downward movement of the same is limited by the beveled top of post 11. In the draw ings the post 11 is provided with a beveled portion to which is secured a plate 17 provided with a dovetail rib 17 and an upstanding portion 17 The front wall of the box is provided with an angular extension 18 having a groove to receive rib 17 Screws 19 passed through said front wall from the inside engage portion 17 and lock the box in position.

20 is the frame of a motor vehicle of any suitable construction, preferably of the tricycle type, driven by motor 21. Said frame is provided with forward extensions 22 between which is pivotally supported the receptacle 23. Said receptacle is provided with receiving openings 24 in its sides, and the forward end is provided with a discharge opening normally closed by a pivoted door 25. The bottom of said receptacle, is provided with a pivoted drop section 26 the free end of which meets the free end of door 25 when said door and said section are in closed position. Pivotally connected to one of the extensions 22 is angular bar 27 normally extending across said extensions 22, the free end of said bar being locked by any suitable means, such as a padlock 28. When said bar 27 lies across extensions 22 the horizontal web thereof engages the forward lower corners of the receptacle 28, supporting the latter horizontally. Said web also engages the forward end of the drop section 26, holding the same in closed position.

The vertical web of bar 27 engages the free end of the door 25 thereby holding it in closed position also. Thus it will be seen that bar 27 performs the triple function of supporting the receptacle 23 and locking the door 25 and section 26. The receiving openings 24 are covered by closures 29 pivotally supported at their lower edges as indicated at 30. Rain guards 31 are also pivoted at one edge of each side of receptacle 23 adjacent the top of the receptacle. The closures 29 and rain guards 31 are rigidly connected to their pivot rods, and to said pivot rods are Connected links 32, 33, respectively. Said links are oined by connecting rods 3% provided with handles 35, said handles being within easy reach of the operator while occupying the seat 36. The frame 20 is provided with platform 37.

In practice, the vehicle is driven up to a mail box 10 and the operator lifts the connecting rod 34 on the proper side, the effect of which is to throw door 29' and rain guard 31 to open position, forming a chute leading into the interior of receptacle 23. It will be noted that when the parts are in this posit-ion the links 32 and 33 and rod 34 are in such a position that the weight of the rain guards acts to lock the doors 29 in open position. Similar functions are performed by the rain guards when the parts are moved to closed position. As soon as the door 29 and rain guard 31 have been moved to open position, the operator, standing on platform 37 unlocks and opens the door section 14 of box 10, which forms in alinement with the bottom section 13, whereupon downward pressure on section 14 will cause any mail matter in said box to be discharged directly into the receptacle 23-. Immediately thereafter the box 10 will be closed and the vehicle will proceed tothe next box, the door 29 and rain guard 31 being moved to closed position by the operator While the vehicle is in motion. It will be noted that the box 10 is supported well within the curb line and the vehicle 20 operated in the street outside of the curb line. The space between the two is bridged by the combined chute formed by bottom 12 and door 29. Thus it will be seen that the mail matter may be very rapidly collected: and finally transported to the main office. At the latter point the bar 27 is unlocked and swung on itspivot, permitting the body 23 to dump and at the same time releasing door 25 and bottom section 26. It will also be noted that in the transfer from box 10 to the receptacle 23 the rain guards 31 protect the mail matter from injury by rain, snow and the like.

In lieu of the box 10 I may employ a box 40 such as illustrated in Fig. 5. Sa -id box is provided with a pivoted section or chute 41 normally retained in a vertical position to receive mail matter entering, the deposit I opening 42.

When unlocked the pivoted sect-ion drops to the position illustrated in dot-ted lines, being supported in this position by a lip 43. The box tO and also the box 10 may be provided with a deposit opening closed by plates 1-4, 44, geared together by toothed segments 44:, whereby raising of plate 44 will cause plate 44 to drop, the plates closing by gravity In lieu of dumping the mail matter it may be desirable to place the same in sacks or bags. For this purpose I have designed a collapsible bag 45, illustrated in Fig. 6, and provided with wings 47. In practice the pouch 455 is placed within the receptacle 23, the wings 47 conforming to the opening and closing movements of the door 29. Instead of dumping the mail matter from receptacle 23 upon the floor at the central station I may employ the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 7. Referring to said figure, 5O designates a hopper, supported upon a truck 51, adapted to run on a track 52 extending over a set-- ting-up table 53. The sides of the hopper are provided with pivoted sections 54-. held normally closed by cords 55 extending over a spring operated tension pulley 56 controlled by a cord 57. In practice the mail from receptacle 23 is dumped into hopper 50 and the latter moved up over the setting up table, where the hopper is emptied by pulling on cord 57. Thus the mail is transported from the street box to the setting up table without being handled manually.

\Vhile the vehicle described in connection with my invention is of the motor type, it is obvious that a horse drawn vehicle could be used for the purpose.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described an operatix e manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a street mail box, of a street collection vehicle free to travel in any direction and provided with a receptacle, and means cooperating with said mail box and said receptacle for mechanical'ly directing the contents of the mail box into the receptacle, whereby manual handling of the mail matter is rendered unnecessary.

2. Thecombination with a street mail box provided with a chute, of a street collection vehicle free to travel in any direction and provided with an opening to receive said chute, whereby the contents of said mail box may be mechanically transferred to said receptacle and manual handling thereof rendered unnecessary.

3. The combination with a street mail box provided with a drop bottom formed of articulated. sections, of a collection vehicle provided with a receptacle having, an opening to receive said drop bottom when thelatter is in open position.

4:. The combination with a mail box, of a collection vehicle provided with a receptacle having receiving openings, covers for said openings, and rain guards, said covers and rain guards cooperating to form chutes for directing mail matter from said mail box into either of said openings.

5. The combination with a street mail box provided with a chute, of a street collection vehicle free to travel in any direction and provided with an opening to receive said chute, whereby the contents of said mail box may be mechanically transferred to said receptacle and manual handling thereof rendered unnecessary, and means for normally closing said opening.

6. The combination with a street mail box provided with a chute, of a street collection vehicle free to travel in any direction and provided with an opening to receive said chute, whereby the contents of said mail box may be mechanically transferred to said receptacle and manual handling thereof rendered unnecessary, a closure for said opening, and means for operating said closure to cover and uncover said opening.

7. The combination with a street mail box, of a collection vehicle provided with a seat and a receptacle having receiving openings, means cooperating with said openings to direct mail matter from said box into the latter, and means contiguous to said seat for controlling said directing means.

8. The combination with a street mail box, of a collection vehicle provided with a seat and a receptacle having receiving openings, said openings being provided with covers or doors forming chutes to direct mail matter from said box into said open ings and means connected with said chutes and contiguous to said seat for operating the chutes.

9. The combination with a street mail box, of a collection vehicle provided with a receptacle having receiving openings, said openings being provided with covers or doors and means connected with said covers or doors for operating the latter, said operating means including means for locking said doors or covers in open position.

10. The combination with a street mail box provided with means for supporting mail matter when open, of a collection vehicle provided with a receptacle having receiving openings, and means cooperating with said box and said supporting means for directing mail matter into the openings of said receptacle.

11. The combination with a street letter box, of a collection vehicle provided with a receptacle having receiving openings, movable covers forming chutes for directing mail matter from said box into said openings, and a removable and collapsible container in said receptacle adapted to conform to the movements of said covers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL C. COX. Witnesses:

CHAS. E. Rronnon, LEwIs HoDeEs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. 0. 

